Reconciliation Week 2014 ended on the 3rd of June leaving us with some good works to do. The theme of this celebration was "let's walk the talk" encouraging us to work together with Aboriginal and Torres Islander people on projects for excluded and marginalised Australians as well as supporting advocacy campaigns specific to Indigenous Australians. Examples of such cooperative undertakings are::

the Indigenous Immersion Program, a two week reality stay by a group of Vincentians with an Aboriginal Community living in remote Northern Territory

the Recognise Campaign which is designedto build support for a "yes vote" if and when a referendum is held to give official recognition to aboriginal and Torres Islander People in the Australian Constitution.

The St Vincent de Paul Society has criticised successive governments for not holding this referendum and states " it is a matter of deep sadness and shame for us as a nation that we have not yet taken this important step in our national journey of recognising the historical truth and honouring the First Peoples".

For more detail, visit www.vinnies.org.au, click on Our Impact, then click Indigenous Australia and read on.

On the 13th of May this year the National Council of the St Vincent de Paul Society issued a Media Release entitled "Vinnies Budget Response: Tough but cruel",

Dr John Falzon, National CEO, says in it " The government would like us to believe that this Budget is tough but fair but for the people who struggle to make ends meet it can only be described as tough but cruel".He then indicates that battlers among the young, the old, the disabled and the single mums cannot be helped into jobs by making them poor. There are even measures in the Budget that could force them into deeper poverty.

Dr Falzon also says there is nothing humane in humiliating people because they are outside the labour market and nothing smart about making seeing a doctor unaffordable. He even thinks that following this treacherous path of austerity could lead to a social crisis.

MrAnthony Thornton,National President, added "Weare saddened to see thegovernment walking away from its responsibility to its people". It has shiedaway from the challenge to build a broader revenue base so that everyone can have their human rights such as a place to live, a place to work and a place to learn. He concludes saying "ThisBudget hurts the people that the government should be helping".